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I don't claim any beacon of light here, but, real politik is completely different from the entirely irrational, highly emotional and spiritual matter of successfully bringing back to life a defunct state after 2000 years, language and all. It does make us different--I do not say better, but different, yes. It is a major theme in the life of Bibi Netanyahu, and it is hard to know him without understanding the resurrection of Israel as a nation, and how this miracle informs our policy decisions.

Real politik has its place, if it serves the moral and ethical intent of a nation. We tend to regard our survival as an "up close & personal" issue. Removing Kosovo from Serbia struck a chord with many here, although no one would claim any great love for Milosevic. The world community does not tend to go around fixing the world's problems, and neither do the Big Powers. For them to play around with international force to carve off national territory is playing with fire. However, just see if anyone touches the Russian Federation, much of which isn't actually Russia (Chechnya), or China (remember when the US said Tibet was NOT China--then changed its mind). Small nations get bullied, both by big powers and by power blocs (EU, NATO, UN etc). What is especially odd in the case of Serbia is that there is a sovereign Albanian country already. And Macedonia is nearly one-fourth Albanian. This reminds Israel of the many Arab states, including the mostly Palestinian "Jordan" on land of the British Mandate of Palestine, yet the world wants a second Palestinian state at the expense of Israel again. The amazing shrinking Balfour lands do have some parallels with the removal of Kosovo from Serbia.

The US and Israel have different takes on Serbia. Frequently, Israel and the US are in opposition, as on Serbia, but the mainstream media typically portrays the tiny old nation of Israel and the young mega-nation as having common goals and purposes, and similar origin-beliefs. Israel sees the precedent of removing an established province of Serbia and giving it independence as potentially very dangerous to Israel. Especially when it favours Croats and Bosnian Muslims who collaborated significantly with the NAZIs.

Funny how the West contributed so much to the "balkanization" of the region in the late 20th century. Quiet there now, but it will fire-up again, I'm sure.

Yes I believe Ariel Sharon had said back then when he was Foreign Minister, "there must be no Albanian state in Kosovo"

And he was right.

__________________Shalom to everyone! No extremeis good. Neitherin religion, nor in science.
"If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence.. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel."
~ Golda Meir~